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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28682436">Island Boy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova16/pseuds/Nova16'>Nova16</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate dimension girls are the heroes, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Don't ask me why I'm starting another longfic, F/M, Hero Marin, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I will fill the Link/Marin tag with my work, Island Boy Legend, Legend (Linked Universe) Needs a Hug, Legend and Fable will always be sibs in my work unless otherwise stated, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), NOT related to Their Melody, So does Marin tbh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:40:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28682436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova16/pseuds/Nova16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Legend was having a good day, that is, until the sweet island girl he once knew fell out of the sky one day and landed on Hyrule. However, something wasn't right. This wasn't the Marin he knew and fell in love with.</p><p>Marin is convinced she's dreaming. Why else would she come face to face again with the kind island boy who stole her heart when she knew she was the one responsible for him being destroyed along with the island three years ago? And, by the goddesses, why was he holding a sword?</p><p>An alternate dimension's Marin who is the Hero of Legend stumbles through a portal one day and runs into our adventuring group of heroes. How will Legend's heart take this?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Legend (Linked Universe) &amp; Marin (Legend of Zelda), Legend (Linked Universe)/Marin (Legend of Zelda), Link/Marin (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>225</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Sleepers Wake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Legend was honestly having the first good day in a long time. They’d been in Wild’s Hyrule for the past week and a half and if he had to hike through the rain one more time he was going to lose it. He was sure even his bones were soaked at this point—his boots definitely were. The goddesses must have heard his grumbling because a portal appeared to take them away to Sky’s time where it was sunny and warm and <em>dry</em>.</p><p>It wasn’t just the weather that had him in such good spirits but for the first time in three portal jumps, they’ve finally landed in a place far away from the sea. Ever since he returned to Hyrule after his…<em>adventure</em> on Koholint Island three years ago, being near the ocean put a bitter taste in his mouth. The first time they landed themselves in Wind’s era he was an absolute wreck on the inside and couldn’t even bring himself to talk to the others.</p><p>He shook his head. They weren’t near the ocean right now and he was in a good mood. He was surrounded by trees and woodland wildlife and the birds singing above his head weren’t seagulls. Nothing to remind him of the pretty island girl he met once upon a dream.</p><p>Except they had run through a forest like this once, chasing each other until they collapsed in a heap in a field. They had laid there for hours just holding each other and talking until the sun got low in the sky.</p><p><em>Stop it!</em> He slapped his cheeks to get himself to focus on collecting firewood again. He was in a forest and he was <em>in a good mood</em>. They were in the middle of investigating the portal situation and he didn’t need to get stuck in his head about Marin again.</p><p>Though, Marin <em>did </em>always tell him he was too easily distractible. But that was only because she was so fascinated by making his ears twitch when he was trying to focus on something important. Of course, he was going to get distracted with her mouth so close to him!</p><p>Legend tilted his head back to look up at the clear blue sky as he carried his meager bundle of firewood back to camp. They were going to scold him for finding so little but his mind was already gone from thinking of firewood. He knew if he closed his eyes he would be able to see her smile, maybe hear her voice again if he really concentrated.</p><p>Or maybe he didn’t need to close his eyes to imagine it.</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” she would say in her concerned voice. “I didn’t mean to fall on you, are you okay?” They’d fallen down a well together a few months after he was shipwrecked on her island. She’d apologized but then giggled because she’d known the whole time that the well was there and had backed him into it one of the times she <em>distracted</em> him.</p><p>But it was weird. His memory—or hallucination—wasn’t giggling this time.</p><p>Legend lowered his gaze from the clouds as he came back to the camp. The others were all gathered in a clump by Hyrule who was on the ground rubbing his head. Everyone was on edge with their hands inching towards their blades but Legend didn’t know why until he noticed the newcomer.</p><p>A young lady by the look of it. She was turned around so he could only see her back but it was enough for Legend. The few sticks he’d had in his hands clattered to the ground and he took a step backward.</p><p>It wasn’t even the red hair braided down her back but the back itself. He knew that back from the countless hours he spent staring at it. He knew it deeply and intimately from gentle kisses to holding it close to his chest to ward away sleepless nights. Those petite shoulders that he knew were sun-kissed and adorn with a million little freckles like constellations. The gentle curve of her waist where his hands had always seemed to fit perfectly when they danced together with their feet in the sea.</p><p>The sound alerted everyone to his presence but he practically forgot the others were even present as the girl from a long-ago dream spun around. His heart stopped beating when he met her doe-brown eyes.</p><p>Marin.</p><p>Marin. <em>Oh, goddesses. </em></p><p>She was right there. Standing in front of him alive and real.</p><p>
  <em>Hylia, if I’m dreaming…</em>
</p><p>His throat constricted and no matter how much he opened his mouth, sound wouldn’t come out.</p><p>They both took a step towards each other before pausing. The hair on the back of his neck rose. No. Something wasn’t right.</p><p>Marin always wore a red hibiscus in her hair. Marin didn’t have a thin scar creeping up her neck similar to his from the lightning that caused his ship to be destroyed. Legend hadn’t had his red tunic while he lived on Koholint Island so Marin never had the chance to steal it so then why was she wearing one identical to the one he was currently wearing?</p><p>His heart froze over again instantly.</p><p>This wasn’t Marin.</p><p>Though the revelation hurt him he scolded himself for falling for whatever trick this was for as long as he did. He crossed the short distance between them quickly and drew his sword. The fake Marin had done the same and now there they stood in the middle of the silent clearing with fire in their eyes and the same golden blades pointed at each other’s throats.</p><p>“Who are you?” They asked at the same time with equal amounts of venom in their voices. Why the imposter was as furious as him, he had no idea. But the fact that whatever or whoever this was <em>dared</em> to look inside his head to create this image of her…</p><p>He should have known something was going to happen. Good days just never happened for him.</p><p>The imposter clenched her jaw and her voice shook when she spoke. “Who <em>the hell </em>do you think you are taking his appearance?”</p><p>Legend clicked his tongue and ignored her. Not that her words made any sense to him whatsoever. Like she was trying to say <em>he</em> was the fake. “You’re going to have to try harder than that to convince me. Marin never swore.”</p><p>If it was possible the fire in her eyes burned brighter as her glare darkened. “Liar. Link thought it was the funniest thing in the world when I did.”</p><p>What? Marin always had an air of innocence around her from growing up secluded on the island. Half of it had been an act, of course, but she’d at least always been so careful with her words. That was one of the many things he admired about her.</p><p>He tried not to change his facial expression but the look in her eye mirrored his own confusion.</p><p>“Vet? Who is this?” Twilight asked with his own sword drawn ready to jump in if it came to blows. The others were all gathered around with their weapons out but they all looked hesitant.</p><p>“It’s no one, leave. I can handle this,” he told him without taking his eyes off the imposter. The others didn’t move an inch. This was getting ridiculous. He wanted to take care of this without an audience. They didn’t need to hear anything more than what they already have. At this rate, they were going to start asking questions that he never wanted to answer.</p><p>Koholint had been his dirty little secret from the moment he woke up. He didn’t say anything to the crew of the ship that had rescued him from the sea. He never told Zelda—who knows everything about his adventures. Never told Ravio. Legend hadn’t even brought himself to tell his uncle whenever he would visit his grave.</p><p>The fake Marin pressed the tip of her sword into his throat—not enough to draw blood but it brought him out of his thoughts.</p><p>“So can we cut the crap already?” She asked. “What are you really? A hero’s shadow? A Nightmare following me in the waking world?”</p><p>A Nightmare. Oh. He hadn’t even considered the thought. Not processing her words other than that he let out a short laugh.</p><p>A Nightmare.</p><p>If she was a Nightmare then he wasn’t awake. He wasn’t…goddesses above <em>was he dreaming</em>?</p><p>Legend found himself lowering his sword to her and everyone else’s surprise. He didn’t sheath it but he did walk a few steps back laughing unsteadily with his hand over his face. This was a dream. After running for three years his past has finally caught up to him.</p><p>“A dream,” he said and noted how the fake Marin flinched. “Is that all this is?” That would make sense. His dreams were the only time he ever saw anger in Marin’s sweet and kind eyes.</p><p>He looked over to where his comrades stood all battle tense but their eyes betrayed their concern. Hyrule’s especially. “This is why I say sleep is a bad idea.” Why did he bother saying that to them when they wouldn’t remember it when he woke up?</p><p>“When did you get me?” He asked the fake Marin in a tired voice. “Were we in Wild’s Hyrule? Time’s? Four’s?” Or some time before? Was this whole adventure just another dream? Were the heroes, his friends, were they all part of his imagination as well?</p><p>He pinched the bridge of his nose hoping to calm the panic that was slowly consuming him. That <em>would</em> be his luck, wouldn’t it? Did the goddesses never want him to form bonds with people who were actually real or did they just find it hysterical to watch him give someone his whole heart only for that person to disappear just like a candle being snuffed out?</p><p>It was then that he noticed fake Marin’s sword hand shaking. The anguish in her eyes was almost real enough for him to believe it. “Who are you still trying to fool?”</p><p>Legend laughed drily. “Myself, apparently.” So much for his good mood. “Look, can’t we skip the whole evil plan shtick? Go right into the fighting so I can wake up from this goddess forsaken nightmare? Then I can go on about my day hating myself even more than I already do.” His grip on his sword hilt tightened.</p><p>Fake Marin hadn’t moved. Disbelief and pain were still etched on her face. If the Nightmare was doing it deliberately to stir up old feelings of guilt it was doing a good job of it. The weight of losing Marin and the entirety of Koholint Island—a weight he thought he’d long since gotten rid of—was now place firmly back on his shoulders.</p><p>“What?” He snapped making her flinch. “I thought you wanted a fight?” If she’d been Marin she would have pouted until he felt guilty enough to apologize for speaking so harshly to her. She wasn’t Marin. However, he could see her bottom lip stick out ever so slightly.</p><p>His heart remembered that look and poured into his veins the need to apologize to her. To make her smile again. To wipe away that pout with jokes or kisses.</p><p>But she wasn’t Marin.</p><p>By Hylia, he wasn’t prepared for her next words.</p><p>Her voice was quiet—just above a whisper—but he could still pick the sound up.</p><p>“Link’s ears were round.”</p><p>Legend blinked and subconsciously brought his hand up to his definitely pointed ear. His brain must have been playing tricks on him because when his eyes finally left fake Marin’s face and looked to the side of her head he saw something that was more out of place than the tunic or the scars.</p><p>“Why…?” He started but realized he needed to breathe in order to form words properly. “Marin’s ears were the round ones.”</p><hr/><p>After everything she’s been through, Marin had to wonder what it was she’d done to make the goddesses so upset with her. She’s done all that is asked of her. She’s saved Hyrule and countless other countries from falling into the hands of evil. Even now, she was on a quest to stop an evil shadow from destroying time itself.</p><p>Wasn’t it enough she had to watch her own father die in her arms in the palace when she was a little girl? Or that the magic in Ravio’s bracelet depleted causing it to shatter and therefore preventing either her or Zelda from returning to Lorule.</p><p>Wasn’t it enough that she caused the destruction of the one place she ever wanted to call home?</p><p>What did she do to be forced to look upon his face again and be reminded of her biggest failure to date?</p><p>Was this the work of a Nightmare? Did they really follow her all the way from the sea? Goddesses. Marin had spent so many sleepless nights solely to avoid seeing a sight like this.</p><p>Link had held a sword to her throat.</p><p>Link.</p><p>Her sweet, compassionate Link.</p><p>He was holding a sword. There was something so inherently wrong with the image that it broke her heart. His gentle hands were never meant to wield a blade. They were callused from the weeks he spent building his own house so he didn’t have to rely on his uncle so much. Not from hours and hours spent on swordcraft. They were made for playing instruments and running his fingers through her hair as they watched the stars dance across the sky. Not taking lives.</p><p>But this wasn’t Link. Not her Link. She’d noticed it right away. The tunic that matched hers. The scars peeking out from underneath his collar.</p><p>His beautiful round ears of the island people now came to a horrid point, longer and sticking out from his hair more. It <em>wasn’t him</em>.</p><p>And the way he looked at her when they first saw each other…the absolute<em> guilt</em> on his normally happy features was <em>so</em> out of place. The things he said made no sense to her. He was talking like <em>he’d</em> been the one to destroy the island.</p><p>
  <em>“Marin’s ears had been the round ones”</em>
</p><p>No. No, her ears were very pointed and very Hylian.</p><p>Marin lowered her sword so the tip dragged on the ground and finally took the time to take in her surroundings.</p><p>The boy she’d fallen on after she came flying through the portal was now up on his feet brandishing a ruby-encrusted sword, the same one she knew Impa, the Hero of Hyrule wielded. Aryll the Hero of Winds’ little brother was here much older than she last saw him a few days ago. Her panic started to grow.</p><p>So many of their faces she knew. Linkle’s older brother, the boy who worked in the forge in Erune—the small hero of the Four Sword’s time, and Marin knew the tall man in armor but the last time she’d been in Malon’s time her husband still had both his eyes.</p><p>Marin looked back at Link again. He was still standing there looking incredulously at her. “You…” she started. “You’re not <em>my </em>Link. I—what is going on here?”</p><p>One of the men she did not recognize—except the tattoos on his face reminded her of Midna’s tattoo—came forward and raised an eyebrow at Link.</p><p>“That’s an excellent question, young lady,” she glared at him for calling her that but he wasn’t paying attention. His voice was even but had undertones of passive-aggressiveness. “Legend, why don’t you have a go at answering that?”</p><p>Legend? Why was he referring to this false image of Link as Legend? It had to have been the boy’s name because at the sound of it he shook his head and covered his face again with his hand. He looked at her through the gaps in his fingers and she could see the vulnerability peeking through his eyes.</p><p>“Who are you?” He asked in a voice with a small trace of fear. She recognized it because it was the same fear that was pounding on her heart. The feeling dried out her mouth but also turned her tongue into lead. The old feelings of guilt and grief that she’d been so careful about shoving down now threatened to overflow. But she ignored it enough to stand tall.</p><p>“I am Marin, the Hero of Legend and a whole bunch of other titles but people have seemed to like that one the most.” The fake Link shook his head again, harder this time as if he truly believed she was lying. Well, she wasn’t lying and she was going to be strong enough to not fall for whatever trick this was.</p><p>The fake Link covered his eyes again. The hand he had tightly wrapped around his sword was shaking almost as badly as his voice but Marin couldn’t determine if it was fear, anger, sadness, or a mixture of all three that was the cause of it.</p><p>“That’s not true. <em>It’s not true</em>. What I don’t get is: why do you keep <em>lying</em> to me when you know I know that it isn’t true?”</p><p>She felt her knees lock up at his words. Her heart was beating erratically.</p><p>“I—” her emotions got clogged up in her throat. She’s had this nightmare before way too many times to count but it still hurt each time. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she squeezed her eyes shut to stop that from happening. “Don’t say that. Not with his face.”</p><p>Hearing Link deny the fact that she was a hero because of what she did to his home…the three-year-old guilt burst out of her heart and she couldn’t stop the tears this time from falling. She <em>knew</em> she failed. Why did her mind have to keep reminding her of it over and over again? Link was gone because of her. She knew. She knew. She knew.</p><p>She wasn’t strong enough to defend the island against the monsters for the rest of her life. Not after they found out she learned the truth. And Link…she’d pleaded with the Windfish to grant her wish until her face was red and her voice grew hoarse.</p><p>Marin had woken up in the sea alone.</p><p>“If you’re trying to make me feel guilty I’ve already come to terms with it. So stop crying and tell me who you really are and—”</p><p>“Do you think I wanted to wake the Windfish?” She couldn’t stop herself from finally shouting what she’s been dying to every time she has this dream. Her voice came out choppy and watery as she yelled through her heartache and tears. “Link was the best thing to ever happen to me! Do you think I wanted to throw that away?”</p><p>The boy’s eyes flared. “You—!”</p><p>Before either of them could say anything more, a man wearing a sailcloth similar to Karane’s stepped in between them with his hand out to stop them from attacking each other.</p><p>He spoke in a calm voice but there was also irritation there. “Legend, the rest of us have <em>absolutely no idea</em> what is going on, but the two of you are going to stay here arguing in circles all day if you don’t stop.”</p><p>The boy with Link’s face looked at him with a pained expression. “Even in a dream, you’re the pacifist. Does it really matter if I stop and explain it to you? None of you are real in the first place.” Not even a full second later the brown-haired boy she fell on stomped over to him and slugged him in the arm.</p><p>He cried out and was so shocked he dropped his sword to cradle his arm while looking at the brown-haired boy incredulously. “The hell was that for, ‘Rule?”</p><p>“Did that feel real enough for you? Or do I need to hit you again?”</p><p>“That doesn’t prove anything, not when she’s here!” He sputtered while pointing at her wildly.</p><p>“It proves that<em> I’m</em> real!” The brown-haired boy poked him in the chest with a hard look in his eyes. “Because, Legend I am real and you are real and Sky is real and this girl, whoever the hell she is or isn’t to you, she is <em>very</em> real if the bump on my head is anything to go by!”</p><p>The boy they keep calling Legend opened his mouth to growl something back to him but the brown-haired boy spun on his heel and pointed his finger at Marin.</p><p>“And, you! I don’t know who you are or where you get off on doing this to Legend when I literally just got him to start sleeping on a normal schedule without freaking out when he wakes up <em>last week</em>. You just went and ruined all of my progress! I swear if you’re working for the stupid shadow we’re chasing—!”</p><p>At the mention of the shadow, Marin let out a choking noise. Was the hero’s shadow behind this? Was it the one creating this illusion?</p><p>Marin dropped her blade completely to cover her ears. She didn’t wasn’t to hear any more lies. “No! No, stop! This isn’t real! Stop trying to…Link—Link was just a boy I met on an island three years ago. That island is <em>gone</em> now. I watched it disappear <em>right before my very eyes</em>. Don’t do this to me! Why do you keep on insisting you’re him?”</p><p>“Because <em>I’m</em> <em>Link</em>!” The boy shouted with such certainty that made her look up at him through her tear-filled eyes. “The Hero of Legend! And you—!” He looked a step away from losing control of his emotions.</p><p>She let herself become more aware of her surroundings. Taking in the feeling of the wind on her skin, the sounds of the birds around them, and the look and texture of the leaves on the trees and the grass beneath her feet. If she knelt down to run her hand through it she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that it would feel no different than the grass she was used to in the waking world.</p><p>Marin wasn’t dreaming.</p><p>“<em>You’re the one who’s not supposed to exist</em>!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Long Forgotten Kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tension in the camp is high as Legend and Marin try and cope with the idea that the person of their dreams stood before them a completely different person.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The day she met Link was the best and worst day of her life. Her time out at sea was an adventure in and of itself and she enjoyed every second of it. That is until the storm woke her in the middle of the night. When the lightning struck her, she thought it was the end—<em>that</em> would have been a kinder fate in her opinion.</p><p>She woke up briefly in someone’s arms as they carried her someplace. When her bleary eyes saw his face she really did think she was dead and an angel was taking her away. Except her body had hurt way too much for her to be dead so she settled on thinking he was just a dream—the goddesses had a sense of humor for sure.</p><p>As it turned out, he wasn’t an angel, but a very cute island boy named Link instead.</p><p>Link and his uncle had nursed her back to health over the next few days. She was pleasantly surprised to know her angel boy was, in fact, very real. His laugh was loud and bright as she tripped over her words of gratitude. And his smile…<em>by the goddesses</em>, there was <em>nothing</em> more precious in all of existence than making Link smile.</p><p>It was a nice little island, Koholint. And the people there were even more so. It had been the change of pace and scenery she had desperately needed. An epic adventure on a little island with people she had grown to think of as family. What a cruel twist of fate it was when she found out the truth.</p><p>It wasn’t even like she had wanted to be a hero in the first place. All of the duties and responsibilities that came with the title were shoved on her shoulders from a very young age. Fighting those terrifying monsters in countless dungeons in order to save people—even if she didn’t know what she was doing half the time. To think she had actually enjoyed that kind of life once. That she had looked fear right in the eye and giggled like it was all some big game—excluding her initial adventure of course. Once she got over that first one, the only thing that fazed her was the visible marks left behind on her body from her endeavors.</p><p>She subconsciously rubbed her arm where a long, ugly scar trailed from her wrist to her elbow. It had been a stupid mistake, she got overconfident in a dungeon and a Stalfos got the better of her. But that mistake had marred her skin forever. It was a silly thing to be upset over, she knew, but underneath the dirt and sweat, she was still a girl and sometimes couldn’t help <em>but</em> to care about silly things like that.</p><p>Well, <em>she</em> thought it was an ugly scar, Link had instantly disagreed with her and planted dozens of kisses all along the scar—along all of her scars. To him, they were no different than birthmarks and he called them beautiful. He said that they were proof of all the good she had done for the world and its people. It had been a long while since she heard praise like that and she couldn’t keep herself from crying. With a few words, he’d taken her into his gentle arms and made her feel like the most special girl in the whole world.</p><p>Just the thought of being tucked into his side was enough to bring tears back to her eyes. Sometimes, at night, she could almost imagine she was back in his arms, their fingers intertwined as he told her about his day. If she closed her eyes tight enough and held her breath, she could remember the sound of his heartbeat and the way it harmonized with her own.</p><p>Link. <em>Her</em> Link. Oh, her sweet and gentle Link. Most days she tried so hard to keep his memory locked down in the bottom-most part of her heart. But now it was like the flood gates were blown open and she could do nothing to stop the onslaught of memories from attacking both her heart and her mind.</p><p>Some nights, they would sneak out at night to go to the beach. Dancing and playing in the ocean when no one was around to tell them to stop acting like children. He showed her sights she never could have dreamed of, took her to places she wouldn’t have found on her own, and made her feel things she never knew she could feel.</p><p>He made her feel <em>alive</em>. And what did she do to repay him?</p><p>She killed him. Him and everyone else on that island when she woke the Windfish.</p><p>
  <em>You’re the one who’s not supposed to exist!</em>
</p><p>Marin sat with her head in her hands on a log near the edge of the camp, the men she came across earlier had been setting up. <em>Heroes</em>. These boys were heroes carrying the titles that belonged to her friends. Wielding their equipment.  Everything around her was just <em>wrong</em>.</p><p>And if she were to lift her head she would see <em>him</em> again. A version of him <em>alive</em> and <em>real</em>.</p><p>Link.</p><p>
  <em>A hero.</em>
</p><p>Not that her Link wasn’t heroic or anything, but just the thought of him out there fighting monsters and possibly getting hurt made her throat constrict. Link would spend hours and hours trying to get her to stop looking for dungeons. To stop her from going after monsters. At first, she’d assumed it was only because he was worried about her but now…now she had to wonder if he had known at least some of the truth.</p><p>If he’d known, that would explain a lot.</p><p>The day she returned from the Face Shrine—when she found out the truth about the island—there was something off about him. His smiles had seemed too forced and he couldn’t mask the sadness in his eyes. That day, he dragged her to a secluded part of the island she’d never seen before and they stayed there until the sun set and then rose again.</p><p>Not much was said between them that night but they watched the stars as the stars watched over them.</p><p>After that day, things had gone back to normal so she just assumed she had read too deeply into it. And she might have. Link never liked her fighting. The stress of not knowing if she would come back injured or okay—or goddess forbid, not return at all—must have gotten to him.</p><p>“Legend, could you hold this for a second?” Malon’s husband spoke from across the camp and Marin froze. She had no idea what they were talking about or even if <em>he</em> had done as he was asked. Marin held her breath to listen if he would give a response. Hearing his voice again after so many years felt like she’d been doused in frigid water. He gave no verbal response and a fraction of the tension in her shoulders eased.</p><p>She couldn’t lift her head to look at him. Looking at him only made her heart feel worse.</p><p>All in all, it was pretty safe to say that it was one of the worst days of her life.</p><p>“So, let me get this straight,” the boy claiming to be the Hero of Wind said. He’d been pacing back and forth in front of her for the past ten minutes. The kid was thinking so hard Marin could practically hear smoke coming out of his ears.</p><p>“You’re saying I’m Aryll’s <em>little </em>brother? As in <em>younger</em> <em>than her</em>?” She couldn’t help <em>but</em> to think back to not that long ago when they had ended up in Aryll’s era for the first time. The girl had been so excited to show them around her island. Though, being there made Marin think back to a different island with white sandy beaches and coconut trees.</p><p>And if only to make it all worse, they met Aryll’s little brother. A boy named Link with blond hair and a bright smile. Mercifully enough, his eyes were a rich brown and not the shimmering blue that would shine like sapphires in the sunlight.</p><p>That had been the first night she cried for her Link in a year. They had met other boys named Link before, of course, during their journey through time. So it wasn’t as if hearing his name was a shock, but being on the island had already dredged up painful feelings. She slept restlessly that night in both Midna and Malon’s arms. Nightmares plagued her without end.</p><p>Marin took a deep breath and put a smile on her face as she forced herself to look up at the boy. “Yes, she talks about you quite a lot actually. She always shows us the drawings you send her.”</p><p>His cheeks grew a bright shade of pink as Linkle’s brother came over to ruffle his hair with a laugh.</p><p>Warriors. The Hero of Warriors.</p><p>For whatever reason, all of their names were Link so they told her all of the weird things they’ve taken to call one another as opposed to using their names. Sailor. Sky. Time. Smithy. Captain. It was ridiculous to think about but, then again, she and the other heroes from her world didn’t share the same name.</p><p>The small Hero of the Four Sword laughed along to Warriors’ teasing. Marin had to wonder why he agreed to answer to ‘Four’.</p><p>The one they called Wild, was a Link she wasn’t familiar with even if his blue tunic resembled Paya’s. She had never mentioned someone named Link before. Which was odd, because it seemed like all of the heroes had some sort of connection with her friends.</p><p>She would have to ask Paya about it when she got back. <em>If</em> she got back, that is. Marin blinked.</p><p>
  <em>What’s with the dark thoughts? I’ll figure it out. This isn’t the worst situation I’ve found myself in. Well…not like this is the most ideal situation either. If I woke up tomorrow with all of this being a dream I would gladly get down on my knees and praise Hylia.</em>
</p><p>The portals had always been links between times so unless something malfunctioned or there was a reason she was dropped there with them. With her history of dealing with adventure, the latter seemed to be the more likely situation.</p><p>Later that evening she offered to help Wild with dinner. After all, it was supposed to be her night on dinner duty back in her world. She looked down at the fire for a moment. Oh, goddesses, her friends! How had she not thought of them sooner? She’d been out setting up traps and snares because their meat supply was getting low. They had to have noticed she was gone.</p><p>Even though she knew ending up in an entirely different universe wasn’t her fault, guilt still made its way up her throat.</p><p>Wild thanked her but ultimately turned down her offer. She nodded absentmindedly and went to return to her seat on the log. Marin had been content to just sit there wallowing in her worry for her friends but an argument broke out on the other side of the camp, disrupting the calm quiet that had settled around them.</p><p>It was instinct that had her turning her head to see what the problem was and her heart lurched when her eyes landed on him. He…Legend was arguing heatedly with Warriors, she couldn’t hear the beginning of it very well, but they got progressively louder as time went on.</p><p>“How about an explanation, then?” Warriors poked Legend in the chest. “You owe us that much.”</p><p>Legend pushed his arm away and started to walk away towards the fire with his fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t <em>owe</em> you <em>anything</em>, Captain.”</p><p>The boy Wind took a seat next to her as she watched Legend sit at the fire as far away from her as possible.</p><p>“Was your Legend as grumpy as him?” Wind whispered not so quietly in her ear and, judging by the way Legend’s ear twitched, he’d definitely heard him.</p><p>Legend lifted his head and their eyes met. If he had been her Link, butterflies would have erupted in her chest and he would have smiled so brightly at her. But he wasn’t. Seeing such a look of irritation and anger on his face sent more pain through her heart. Every part of her wanted so badly to go to him, to comfort him. She wanted nothing more than to kiss the frown off his face but he wasn’t Link. Not her Link.</p><p>“No,” she answered Wind, never breaking eye contact with Legend. “And I imagine yours wasn’t always like this either.” There was no possible way any version of Link, in her world or another, could have always held an attitude like that. No, she had a feeling he was once able to laugh and smile as brightly as she remembered.</p><p>His scowl only deepened. “You don’t know anything about me, <em>Hero</em>.”</p><p>The spite in his voice as he spat out the word <em>hero</em> caused her to flinch. The memory of her dreams where Link had denied the fact that she was a hero over and over again rang strongly in her head. And now to hear her title being thrown in her face like it was an insult just as the people of Hyrule had done so long ago…</p><p>He <em>had</em> to know the weight of his words. He must have gone through something similar in his youth. He <em>did</em> know. One look in his eyes told her that he knew perfectly what he’d said and had meant for it to hurt. Soon, irritation of her own started to build up inside her.</p><p>“Oh, don’t I? Are you telling me that you never looked at the world in wonder and excitement to uncover every hidden corner? That you never traveled while actively <em>looking</em> for adventure?” A part of her was satisfied by the way his eyes got darker as the others looked at him with confusion and skepticism. “That when you set out to sea that day—?”</p><p>He stood abruptly to cut her off. “Listen, Hero—”</p><p>Her eye twitched and she was on her feet as well, her blood boiling at this point. “I have a <em>name</em>, you know.”</p><p>“I’m <em>not</em> calling you by her name.” His tone was still calm but there was an icy bite to it.</p><p> “But it’s <em>my</em> name too!” She huffed in frustration. Was Link ever that bull-headed before? Not her Link at least. “Why do you have to be like this? It’s just a <em>name</em>, Link!” When he tipped his head slightly to the side she realized exactly what she’d done and immediately covered her mouth with her hands.</p><p>What a hypocrite she was.</p><p>Her heart was pounding very loudly in her chest in response to her words. She’d called him Link even though she tried so hard to disassociate the name with him. It hurt so unbelievably when she called him that name.</p><p>She expected his face to grow red in fury or at least him to narrow his eyes at her but he did neither. He just stared at her blankly with mild irritation poorly masking the pain in his eyes. All she could do was look at him with wide eyes as he sighed bitterly. “Just a name, huh?”</p><p>She let her hands fall. “Listen—”</p><p>“I’m not calling you by her name, <em>Hero</em>.” He still never raised his voice at her, not since he’d snapped at her that morning—there had been an instant look of regret on his features when he did—but there was still hardness behind his words.</p><p>His blue eyes glinted in the evening sunlight. They were very clear—he wasn’t planning on budging on the matter. If the others let them, she was sure they could have stayed there and argued about it until they lost their voices.</p><p>Marin had to look away from his eyes. Her emotions warred inside her. “You know what? Do whatever you want.” She kicked at the dirt and once again questioned what exactly was it she had done to warrant such a punishment from the goddesses.</p><p>The air around them grew uncomfortably quiet. The boy called Hyrule eyed the both of them uncertainly, his hand twitched as if he were ready to jump in if they drew their swords again. Not that she would raise her sword against him again. Not after finding out he was really Link, even if he <em>was</em> different.</p><p>Sky cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention, though, it didn’t do much to make the uncomfortableness go away.</p><p>“I think now would be a good time to discuss a plan. I mean, given our own experiences, do any of you <em>really</em> think this was a coincidence or an accident?” The thought only soured her mood even further. If she hadn’t already had six adventures under her belt she would have been more likely to believe it <em>was</em> just a coincidence.</p><p>Wild snorted. “Be nice if that were the case for once.” There were scattered murmurings of agreement amongst the heroes.</p><p>Sky continued on, directing the attention to Marin. “You said a portal brought you here, did you see what it looked like?”</p><p>She shook her head. “It appeared right under my feet. Caught me off-guard. I was falling before I ever noticed it was there.” The Chosen Hero made a face that suggested he’d been hoping for more. It had all happened so fast, normally she wouldn’t have been caught off guard so easily like that, but she’d been a bit distracted lately.</p><p>Actually, they had just returned to their camp after working through the night defending a small village from a pack of monsters. And after a particularly long day of traveling before that, it was understandable that her focus hadn’t been the greatest.</p><p>“You think the shadow might be behind this?” Sky shrugged at Four’s suggestion.</p><p>The shadow. Her nose crinkled up at the thought. Of course it would be that. Of course she wouldn’t get a break from that thing after they’d spent the better part of two months chasing after it only to come up empty-handed each time.</p><p>“From your expression, I take it you know what we’re talking about.”</p><p>“A shadow going around screwing with time and making monsters that much more difficult to kill? Yeah, I’m aware of the problem.”</p><p>“So, what do we do now?” They all turned to look at Wind. “I mean, is she coming with us?”</p><p>“If she wants to,” Twilight answered before addressing Marin. “I think you might stand a better chance of figuring out how to get back to your own time…universe if you stick with us.”</p><p>She was about to thank him for the offer to join them when Legend stepped forward with a hand on his chest.</p><p>“Hold on. Shouldn’t <em>I</em> get a say in this?”</p><p>Twilight looked at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the sword he was in the middle of sharpening. “Sure. Once you get around to explaining to us who she is to you and why you two just about killed one another this morning,” he let the whetstone fall to the ground as he thrust the sword into the ground quite forcefully. “I’d be <em>glad</em> to give you a say in this.”</p><p>Legend looked at the other hero unimpressed, though, he did deflate a little. “Must you be so passive-aggressive?”</p><p>“Could be worse,” she couldn’t stop herself from adding. “You could have been stuck with Midna as your Hero of Twilight.”</p><p>Said Hero of Twilight made a strange sound and reeled back looking as if she’d just slapped him. Marin looked at him quizzically, wondering what it was she said that made him react as such.</p><p>“Everything alright?” Malon’s husband asked.</p><p>It was a while before Twilight had responded. He pushed back his hair with one hand—showing off the tattoos on his forehead. His voice was quiet but unwavering at the same time. “You said Aryll was the Hero of Winds, yes?”</p><p>“I did.”</p><p>He closed his eyes and lowered his head. When he lifted it again, his focus was on the trees behind them.</p><p>“Midna…she’s the hero from my time then.” His broken eyes looked between her and Legend for a moment before he turned towards the forest to his right. “You don’t have to answer, then, Vet. I understand now and <em>no</em>, you still don’t get a say in this.” Twilight got to his feet and sheathed his sword.</p><p>“I’m going to do another sweep of the perimeter. It’s been too quiet for my liking.” That was all he said before going off on his own, not waiting for a reply.</p><p>Again the camp was filled with silence but this time mostly out of confusion.</p><p>“What’s <em>his</em> problem?” Wind asked.</p><p>Warriors shrugged, his armor clanking at the movement. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say he knew her. This…Midna that is. I’ll go keep an eye on him.”</p><p>“No, I’ll go,” Wild insisted as he cleaned his hands off with a towel quickly. “Dinner’s ready at least. You guys go ahead and eat.” He clapped Warriors on the shoulder before jogging off to catch up with Twilight.</p><p>The gears in Marin’s head started turning as she watched Wild run off. Midna had never mentioned a Link before but there was one boy she talked about. Her companion during her adventure was a Twili who had been cursed to take the form of a wolf. It turned out that he was actually a prince of twilight, the rightful ruler of the Twilight Realm. They had grown quite close during their time together, but when the end came, he returned to his realm—shattering the mirror that had served as a gateway between the realms. He’d done it to make sure no one would ever try to harm Hyrule again by using his people.</p><p>Knowing her and Midna had something so devastating in common made them closer than all the others. A bond forged out of brokenness.</p><p>If that Link, the Hero of Twilight in this world, was the Twili Midna spoke of meant that he must have retained the ability to change his form. And, judging by his wolf-skin cloak, he wasn’t the one who turned into an imp.</p><p>When Warriors had offered to go find Twilight, Wild’s eyes had flashed with panic so briefly that if she hadn’t been paying attention she would have missed it. It took her a moment to realize why he hadn’t wanted Warriors to go.</p><p>If Twilight had used his ability to turn into a wolf to get far enough away to clear his head, well, it was no wonder Wild had stopped Warriors from going after him.</p><p>It was a secret to most of them.</p><p>The whole idea of it caused a small laugh to escape her lips. Had these boys insisted on keeping their adventures and abilities a secret from one another?</p><p>“What’s so funny?” Hyrule raised an eyebrow at her, distrust clear in his eyes. She got the feeling he was going to keep an eye on her for a while until she proved she could be trusted.</p><p>Marin shook her head with a faint smile. “You all have your secrets, don’t you?”</p><p>“Everyone has secrets,” Four said. She looked over at him, he was picking at the purple corner of his tunic. Ah. Another secret untold. She looked between them all and their eyes all confirmed her suspicions.</p><p>“Secrets corrode the bonds between people, especially ones as close as you lot are.”</p><p>Legend scoffed. “Oh, like you don’t keep things from the other heroes.”</p><p>She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. “Communication is very important in a working relationship,” she told him matter-of-factly. “I knew Midna for all of <em>maybe</em> ten hours before I told her all about Koholint.”</p><p>His glare was back instantly as he clenched his fists at his sides. “Can you <em>stop saying that</em>?”</p><p>“What? Koholint?” She laughed briefly without any humor as his eyes grew narrower. “Have you bottled everything up so tightly that you can’t even bear to hear the island’s name?”</p><p>She didn’t miss the way his jaw wobbled slightly as he spoke. “It exists in my memories. No one else ever needed to know about it.”</p><p>His words cut deep and her anger all but dissipated on the spot. It wasn’t just that he hadn’t told the other heroes about the island, he hadn’t told <em>anyone</em> about it. When she returned to Hyrule the first person she had sought out was Zelda. She told her everything almost immediately.</p><p>To think he’d spent the past two years of his life carrying the weight of the island and what he’d done on his shoulders all on his own…</p><p>“What an awful way to live,” she said mostly to herself but he’d heard it anyway and it only made his glare worse.</p><p>“Yeah, well, the part of me that actually enjoyed life died out at sea two years ago. You should know.” There was heartbreak in his voice that made her falter. He must have loved her a lot, the other Marin. Maybe as much as she had loved her Link.</p><p>She shook her head at him. “Don’t say that. She wouldn’t have—”</p><p>“Just <em>shut</em> <em>up</em>!” His voice shook as he yelled at her and she took an instinctive step back. Link had never yelled at her like this before and, judging by the conflict in his eyes, he’d never raised his voice against the Marin he knew.</p><p>“This is <em>exactly</em> why I kept it to myself. So I didn’t have to hear that. She wouldn’t have wanted me to wallow in guilt. I <em>know</em> she wouldn’t have. But she’s—” He had to clear his throat after his voice cracked. At some point he had stopped looking at her entirely, his eyes looking up and all the way to the side, likely to keep the tears she could see forming in his eyes at bay. “She’s <em>gone</em> now and I can’t do anything about it and you are no more <em>my</em> Marin than I am your Link, so just…<em>shut up</em>.”</p><p>Marin opened her mouth to argue back but then closed it when he sniffed and used both of his hands to push back his hair. The tip of his nose was red as well as his eyes. He hadn’t started crying but she knew he was moments away from it. And right then was when she wished she could take back her words.</p><p>Goddesses, what was she doing? She wasn’t normally this argumentative.</p><p>“Vet,” Malon’s husband started as he reached a hand out to him. Legend was quick to brush him off with a shake of his head. He said nothing else before turning on his heel and stalking off into the forest behind in the opposite direction that Twilight and Wild had left.</p><p>The remaining heroes looked at her tentatively. Like they weren’t quite sure what to think of her after that.</p><p>“Like I said.” She turned her back towards the forest where Legend had run off to and folded her arms. “Secrets corrode.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p>“Link!”</p><p>He jumped at the sound of her voice, causing the note he was in the middle of playing to jump a few octaves in a shriek. His face burned and he knew it was bright red by the sound of her giggles.</p><p>“Did I scare the big, strong hero?” Her laughter was so infectious that he had to try real hard to keep the scowl on his face.</p><p>“You shouldn’t do that, you know, if I’d been holding my sword I’d have likely taken your head off.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes and plopped down on the log next to him. Like, <em>right</em> next to him. There wasn’t a part of his side that wasn’t touching hers and he was very aware of that. Even more so when laid her head on his shoulder, he wasn’t sure if he was even breathing at that point. He should be used to it, her closeness, he’d held her closer before. But even so, it still brought a furious blush to his face and made his heart race like he’d run all the way from Labrynna to Hyrule.</p><p>“Oh! My big, strong, and <em>scary</em> hero! How could you <em>possibly</em> say such a horrid thing? I am but an innocent maiden who does not know what wrong she has done to deserve such a treatment!” She heaved a very overdramatic sigh. It was then Link’s turn to roll his eyes.</p><p>“Innocent, huh?”</p><p>She scoffed at him as if she were affronted that he would suggest she wasn’t. “Yes. I am <em>very</em> innocent.”</p><p>“Innocent. Uh-huh.” He turned his head to look out at the ocean while biting his lip to keep himself from smiling.</p><p>“And what’s so funny about that, mister?”</p><p>He reached over and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers before bringing them up to his mouth so he could leave several light kisses on the back of her hand. That was all he’d planned to do but he had made the mistake of looking in her big brown eyes. The sheer amount of mischief and challenge in her eyes was all it took to have him tugging on her hand, pulling her closer so he could capture her mouth with his own.</p><p>Marin’s kisses never failed to fry his brain. Even the short and sweet ones. They tied his tongue and made him forget his own name, and they always left him wanting more. If that was what addiction was, he was okay with it, because he’d made up his mind long ago. Once he woke the Windfish, he had no plans on leaving the island without her. And if she didn’t want to leave he was more than happy to spend the rest of his life right there. Everything was fine so long as he was by her side.</p><p>Link pulled away briefly even though his heart yelled at him not to. Their foreheads were pressed together until he moved his head to smile against her cheek.</p><p>“You see, here’s the thing, innocent girls don’t kiss like that.” The comment earned him a smack on the arm but it had been worth it just to hear her laugh again.</p><p>
  <em>Splash!</em>
</p><p>Legend threw rock after rock into the rushing stream but it wasn’t enough to get the anger or frustration out of his system. He hadn’t thought about that day at the beach in <em>years</em>. <em>Splash!</em> How naïve he’d been back then, thinking he could ever get what he wanted, that he could ever be happy. <em>Splash!</em></p><p>It was all <em>her</em> fault. That <em>Hero</em> had shown up and tore open a wound that he had thought had mostly closed over.</p><p>It was all <em>wrong</em>. His Marin a hero? Just the thought of her out there fighting her way through dungeons was enough to set his nerves on fire. He’d been absolutely <em>terrified</em> when she’d been kidnapped by Moblins and left in the middle of a rotten and broken bridge so high above the ground.</p><p><em>That day</em>…Legend paused mid-throw and lowered his arm. That was the day he woke the Windfish.</p><p>He knew <em>exactly</em> why she had been so close to the mountain that day. Tears started pooling in his eyes at the memory and he didn’t bother trying to keep them down this time. Marin had been there with the intent of waking the Windfish on her own.</p><p>It was in that moment, when he held her so tightly, that he knew it was time. He had kissed her a dozen times, he tried to commit every inch of her to his memory. Though, in hindsight, that had been the worst idea. He remembered every part of her but that only made it all the more painful for him.</p><p>Legend briefly had to wonder if Wild losing his memories was more of a blessing rather than a curse. A small part of him wished he could just forget it all. If it would have been a mercy to forget that infectious laughter, to forget the feeling of her in his arms.</p><p>He looked down at the rock in the palm of his hand. It was a stupid thought and his heart chastised his brain for even thinking it. To forget about Marin…he let the rock slip from his fingers so he could clutch the front of his tunic above his heart. How could he ever wish to forget her? Marin and the island both?</p><p>What a cruel fate that would be.</p><p>He was brought out of his thoughts by the screeching of dozens of birds as they flew frantically overhead away from something. He didn’t have time to question what from because he was given the answer right away.</p><p>An extremely loud explosion went off in the middle of the wood, it caused the ground beneath his feet to shake so badly that he fell over. Legend looked up at the smoke rising up above the treetops. That had been a bomb no doubt—maybe even several—but it had come from the direction Twilight had stormed off to.</p><p>He was on his feet again and running through the woods before he could even process what had happened. There was a sinking feeling in his gut that something bad had happened to either Twilight or Wild. He just prayed that that feeling was wrong.</p><p>But, then again, he thought as he reached the site of the explosion, his feelings were rarely wrong when it came to stuff like this. The first thing he saw was the pile of blood and he brought his hand up to cover his mouth.</p><p>He stared in horror at the sight in front of him. <em>Oh, goddess. Please, anything but this!</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Island Boy Legend has my heart and soul. Thank the discord server for helping me with this idea. I don't expect much traffic for this but it was too cute of an idea to pass up. I have little ideas of where this is going to go but hey, when has that ever stopped me? I know a lot of you love the fact that I post chapters quickly but I think things are going to slow down a bit now that the semester is starting back up.<br/>Anyway, I just wanted to say how much I love you guys!! Thank you so much for reading my work I really appreciate this fandom and how supportive it is you guys are awesome!<br/>Much love,<br/>Nova</p></blockquote></div></div>
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